Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-08-24
SLAVES ON THE RED SEA.
Great BoIdness of Slave Dealers
from Soudau.

a few weeks ago it was announced
in the House of Commons that the
slave trade had been reopened on a
large scale on the northeast coast of
Africa. Sir ]. Ferguson, the under
secretary OF state for foreign affairs.
said that both the English and French
governments had taken energetic steps
to suppress the evil. Since that time
British vessels in the Red Sea have
captured four slave dhows and the
Egytian government has fitted them
up as cruisers for the suppression of
the Infamous trade. The savers were
never so bold before. They take their
human cargoes to Jeddah, which is tbs
port of Mecca on the Red Sea, and they
boldly incur the greatest risks. Less
than three weeks ago the launch of a
British Inan-of-war was attacked by a
SLAYER, and six Englishmen were
wounded in the lght. The dhow was,
however, sunk, and fortythree slaves
were rescued.
The slave dealers are Soudanese, the
followers of the new Mahdi. All re-
strlction upon slave stealing in the
Soudan being now removed, they have
once more tapped their Old source of
supply III southern Darfur and the
Bahr el GhaZal region. Slaves are
being driven by Thousands to Khar-
toum. If the dealers can only smuggle
their victims over 10 Jeddah and Mecca
their profits are enormous. Young
women and big boys who can be driven
TO the coast at total cost of not over
So apiece sell readily in the larger
Arabian towns for from five to ten
times that amount.
order 10 pocket these great profits is
enormous, particularly as the Soudanese
are in desperate need of trade goods,
and the slavers have only to return
home with cloth and other desirable
commodities TO reap another large har-
vest. The slave trade is now stimulated
not only by the great profits of the
business. but also by the fact that ali
trade is contraband. TIE merchants
run just as great risks if they are caught
with ostrich feathers or ivory, on which
the profit is much less than on slaves.
They are therefore contiuing themselves
to slaves.
The sufferings of the poor captives
are terrible. II takes about seven weeks
TO drive them from Khartoum to the
coast. one party that recently left
khartoum 800 strong reached the coast
only 200 in number. The bones of the
other hundred strew the route from
Gerber to the sea. 1t IS said that about
5000 slaves have been smuggled across
the Red Sea to Jeddah siLce January
l. II is remarkable that the semi-bar-
barlans of the SOudan are able TO carry
on so large trade IN these. Every
dhow whose hold is packed with black
merchandise crosses the busy highway
followed by most of the vessels plying
between Europe and the Orient.
The slaves are taken to some little
harbor or anchorage north or south of
SOuakin, which is the only point where
British vessels are stationed They are
quickly packed into dhows which slip
over to Jeddah in the night time. The
people of Jeddah and Mecca are slave
dealers themselves and thorough SYM
pathIZers with the SoudaneSe, and the
traffic is secretly fostered by tie Turk
lsh authorities in these towns. 1t has
just been discovered that many of these
new slaves have been introduced into
Egypt by pilgrim bands returning
home, who pretend Ia At the captives
are legitimate parts of their caravan.
Many of these slaves have been liberia
ted by the authorities.